Nepenthe
by Akai and Shiroi Dragons
Summary: [Complete]Yugi keeps a secret that Yami pays for, but will all that change when Joey finds out whats going on? Written by Candy, beta reader- Jorgie. Yoai, diff. pairings.
1. Part One

**Candy:** I wrote this whilst in second period Geometry during a movie for reward day with five sophomores I don't know looking over my shoulder. They kept asking me who the characters where, and even though I wouldn't tell them, still said it was good. So I hope you like it, remember, though, I write darkly.

**Jorgie: **Even worse than me, and that's saying a lot! Okay, I'll stop wasting your time.

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**Summary: **Yugi keeps a secret that Yami pays for, but will all that change when Joey finds out whats going on? Written by Candy, beta reader- Jorgie. Yoai, diff. pairings.

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_**Part One**_

Yami sat on the end of the couch, head rested on his fist, watching his hikari from the corner of his eye. Joey, Marik, and Ryou and his yami sat in various positions throughout the room. They were watching a movie, or trying to anyway. Right now, Marik was the only one concentrating on the film.

Ryou and Bakura were more interested in each other's mouth. Joey was busy snickering at them, and Yugi's hands kept exploring places Yami wasn't exactly comfortable with in frount of all the people. Yugi sighed gently, resting his head on Yami's shoulder, giving up his conquest.

Half an hour later, the movie ended and Yami tensed visible. Marik groaned and stretched. They all lay where they were for a moment, then suddenly Marik jumped up.

"It's almost 11! Why didn't somebody say something? Isis is going to kill me!"

"Ya know," Joey said as Marik grabbed his jacket. "I've heard of guys being on short leashes from their girlfriend, but their sister?"

(A/N: Ya know, it's kinda hard sitting in second period trying to write a semi-serious fanfic listening to a bunch of munchins singing-"Follow the yellow brick road....")

Marik shot him a truly evil look as he thanked the half-asleep Yugi for having him over._ He really was sweet, Yugi. _Yami thought bitterly, _Trying to make friends with his old enemy, heh, right._ Joey followed Marik out the door.

Ryou and Bakura came back to reality and left hurriedly, Ryou at least stopped and tryed to apologize as he was shoved through the door by his impatient dark. Yugi giggled and Yami couldn't help but smile at Ryou's look, but it was short lived when Yugi whispered enticingly, "Come to bed?" Not asking, demanding. Yami cast about for an excuse to delay the inevitable, and was saved when Joey walked back in.

Shouldn't somebody stay up until Joey leaves? Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"Boy, that Marik! he's infuriating but I feel sorry for him in a way."

Yea, I guess you're right. Yugi smiled at him a bit crookedly.

"Yea, I know what you mean. Joey, sorry, but I'm about to pass out I'm so sleepy. I'm going to bed."

"Okay." So Yugi, with a final glance back at Yami, headed off to his bedroom. Yugi let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Yami, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" Was he really that obvious?

"Around Yugi-you seem so... edgy."

"Oh, I was hoping noone would notice." Yami clamped his mouth shut. What had he just said? Joey gave him a questioning look and asked, "What's up? You can tell me Yami."

"Yea, I know, it's just uh...well, it's kinda personal."

"Ok, so it's about your sex life." Yami couldn't help but blush.

"Yea." A few moments of silence followed, of which Yami seriously thought about saying just forget it, but somehow he knew Joey wouldn't--even if he told him to.

"You'll feel a lot better, and maybe I can help." Yami couldn't look at him suddenly, so he chose to tell the carpet his troubles.

"He hurts me." he said, hardly loud enough to be called a whisper.

"What!? Who?" At this Yami made a desperate hushing sound.

"You can't let him know about this!"

"_Yugi?_"

"Yes! Now be quiet and I'll tell you more. When he told me he loved me I was ecstatic, I mean, who wouldn't be? he's everything anyone could ever want. But then he started getting--possessive." Joey knodded, waiting for him to continue, but Yami just sat, tense.

Yami! Is he still here? It's getting late, shouldn't he be going home?

I guess.

"He actually went as far to say I was trying to cheat on him!"

"With who?"

"I can't tell you." Joey started to say something more, but Yami held up his hand. "It's someone I would trust with my life--that's all I'm saying." Of course, Joey then immediately started trying to guess who it was, but Yami wasn't saying.

"Then he started...to...oh, Joey, I can't say it out loud!" Yami put his face in his hands. Then he felt Joey sit beside him and put his arm around him. It was such a kind gesture that Yami looked up hesitantly. Warm brown eyes started back, and suddenly he felt like he could tell him. He needed to say it....

Yami!! The feeling was gone as soon as it came.

"J...Joey, you should go." Yami said, hating the way his voice broke on his name.

"I don't want to leave you alone--"

"Joey. I'll be okay, don't worry. I shouldn't have said anything...I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. I'm glad you told me." They stood, walking over to the door. Joey hugged Yami, pressing his lips to his throat. Then something strange happened. It felt as if a jolt of electricity surged through Yami briefly.

"If you ever need me, you know my number." Joey said as he pulled away.

"Thanks Joey."

After he had left, Yami turned around and came face-to-face with Yugi. This frightened Yami in more than one way. he didn't sense Yugi was so near to him.

"Yugi!" Yugi smiled, a shiver ran up Yami's back.

"Come on, I've been waiting for you all day."

"Alright, but Yugi...." Yami whispered as he was lead off, "please don't hurt me this time?"

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The next morning, Yami woke up to feel Yugi half-lying on top of him. Wondering if he could get up before Yugi noticed, he caught sight of something on Yugi's arm. Concerned, because, he was his hikari, regardless, he looked closer. There was scars on his forearm. Puzzled, yami shifted too fast, causing Yugi to open his eyes. Yami started at him a moment, the gently rose, ignoring protesting muscles, laying Yugi back down. he fell back asleep almost as soon as he woke up, and Yami jumped up, although he immediately regretted it.

Yami limped slightly into the bathroom. he fell to his knees in frount of the sink, laying his forehead against the cool porcelain. He kneeled there for a while, not trying to check the tears that ran down his face. It wasn't fair. _Sure,_ he thought, _I'm his yami, his dark, and I owe him my life...but do I really deserve this? Does he have the right to do as he pleases with me?_

He wiped his eyes, splashing water on his face. The phone rang, sending Yami into a mad dash to answer before it could wake Yugi. He didn't want that. He really didn't want that.

"Hello?"

"Yami! Is that you?" It was Joey.

"Yes, is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, no. I was just calling to see if you are alright." Yami looked down at a fresh cut on his side and arm.

"I'm fine Joey. I told you--"

"I know Yami, but...I was worried. You do that about people you care about." Yami didn't reply, just suddenly he realized what Joey had meant, and that his face was still dripping wet, and the cut on his arm was now bleeding. Wonderful. "Yami?"

"Thanks Joey, thanks a lot." Yami said as he went for a towel for his face and arm.

"Your welcome, hey, I was wondering if I could come over a little later, or we could go somewhere."

"Oh, well, I--don't know." Yami could feel Joey smile.

"Okay, I'll take that as a yes. I'll be there at 9, and Yami," Yami gulped. "don't worry about Yugi."

"Um, alright. See you then."

"Bye Yami."

The phone went dead in his hand. He hung up the phone an padded softly down the hall towards the room he shared with his hikari. He peered through the cracked door at the sleeping form of his light.

Yugi had turned back over, away from Yami, legs curled up to his chest. His breathing was slow and steady, and Yami saw it was almost 8:30 on the clock next to the bed. Yami opened the door a bit wider, stepped carefully through, and made his way over to the closet. He opened the door, taking out a black t-shirt and some jeans. He took his time sneaking back out of the room, and by the time the clock read 8:48, was dressed, bandaged, and waiting outside, a bit down the street from their apartment.

He had left a note for Yugi on the kitchen counter, and as he waited for Joey, thought back over it, trying to decide if he should go back and change it--or get rid of it all together. It read,

_Yugi,_

_I got a call this morning from..._ at this, Yami paused, trying to think of who he would get in the least amount of trouble for being with. _...Tea. Went into town, will be back before noon. Don't worry, I didn't want to wake you. -Yami_

As Yami stood outside in the warm sunshine, listening to the soft sounds around him, a bad thought swam to the surface of his thoughts. What if Joey meant 9 PM? Yami opened his eyes. _That would just be my luck._

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**Candy: **Well, there is part one, let me know how I'm doing. The next should be the ending since I like to keep things short and to the point. 


	2. Part Two

**Candy:** Hello, here is the final chapters. I hope the ending makes sense...I don't know if I _said_ what I meant to the _way_ I meant to. Hmm. Well, you can be the judge of that. I hope by changing the name I didn't throw anyone off, I got two of my stories mixed up. I'm sorry for the mistake. I could have gotten by with PG-13 I think.

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Yami turned to look down the street, and to his relief found Joey sauntering towards him. That jolt ran through him again. The same one that had affected him last night, but he didn't want to think about last night. The bright sunlight glinted on Joey's golden hair, and helped make his brown eyes sparkle. He wore a white shirt, ripped jeans, but his smile almost caused Yami to jump--like he'd been shocked. Was it really possible he had never noticed how good looking this guy was before? Was it possible? Yami felt like rubbing his eyes to make sure he was real.

Yami settled for smiling slightly, a little uncertainly. "Hey Yami, what are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you, I'd rather Yugi not know...." Joey frowned slightly, but when Yami winced, shrugged and said, "Ok, let's go." Yami let out a breath he didn't know he held, and set off down the sidewalk at Joey's side.

Joey took him to one of their favorite hangouts. Most of the teens who normally swamped the places were still asleep this 'early' in the morning, so they had most of the time to themselves. Joey kept pressuring Yami to talk about Yugi every chance he thought Yami had his guard down. Yami always paid attention, he couldn't afford not to. So finally, when Joey talked him into going back to his apartment, he asked one to many times.

"Joey! Yugi is a sadist, alright? He likes causing me pain and it tears me up. Can you not understand why I don't want to talk about it?"

"Yami, I understand completely, but what I'm getting at is you don't have to let him!" Yami fell onto the couch, sighing heavily.

"And how am I supposed to stop him?" Joey sat down next to him, putting his arm around his shoulders like he had before. Yami liked it. It felt good. There was absolutely no menace in the gesture.

"Let me."

"No, Joey, I couldn't--"

"Yami, I love you. I really do and I can't see you hurt anymore."

"But--" Yami turned to look at him.

"I can stand up for you, let me, please?" Their faces were too close, just inches apart. Yami became aware of this and tried to pull away when he realized he didn't want to. Yami didn't get it. Why did he keep getting those feelings? Right now, it felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. No pain, but all breathlessness as Joey leaned closer and right at that moment all Yami wanted was for Joey to kiss him. To tell him that everything could-and would-be fixed. That they could be together, no matter how much Yami believed he belonged to his light.

Their lips brushed. Yami closed his eyes as Joey kissed him. It was a deep kiss, all romance and chastity, hard, but not painful. Yami smiled a little when Joey slid his hands under Yami's shirt and his tongue across his lips. Yami had only been asked permission to be kissed that way one time--right now, so he let him.

As Joey explored his mouth, he also found the first of the scars on Yami's back. It was the oldest he had and also the deepest. It lay parallel to his waist band. Yami shivered when Joey traced it once then went higher. It didn't take him long to find the next two. They slashed down from each other like two sides of a triangle. Yami could see them clearly in his mind. After all, hadn't he stared at them for hours in the mirror trying to figure out why he deserved them?

Joey's fingertips seared Yami's skin until he couldn't take it anymore. One of Yugi's favorite pastimes was to trace over Yami's old scars and remind him of how each came to be. So, before Joey could find anymore of Yami's secrets, he grabbed Joey's wrists and pulled them away, breaking the kiss at he same time.

"I'm sorry Joey." he whispered.

"No, it's my fault. It's none of my business." his breath, made hot from lust caressed Yami's neck as he rested his head against Joey's shoulder.

"Joey? Did you mean it earlier when you said you loved me, did you mean it?"

"With all my heart and soul. Why?" he sighed slightly.

"Never mind." They lay like they were a long time, until Yami almost fell asleep, but a sudden thought cut through his reverie, causing his insides to clench.

What time was it?

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"Joey! Joey, let me go!" Joey had him by the wrist and waist--holding him back.

"Yami, calm down!"

"No! You don't understand, I have to go!" Yami struggled, but wasn't strong enough to break Joey's grip. It was twelve forty-five. Yugi was going to kill him, maybe even literally.

"Yami, it's okay. Listen," he said soothingly as they sank to the floor, Yami still in his arms, "if you go by yourself then you'll end up getting hurt, and you know I'll come to get you anyway. So, we'll go together, okay?"

Yami leaned against him, letting his body heat calm him. Joey was like some kind of nepenthe. His reason soon sank in though. He was probably right.

"Alright, but Joey, don't hurt him." Yami glanced up at Joey to see a familiar fire there in his eyes. Yami tried to search with his mind for Yugi-but couldn't feel him. This made him uneasy, but he didn't think much of it. There had been lapses in his feelings before. He allowed Joey to pull him up and lead him outside and down the street. They walked quickly to the Motou's apartment, Yami slowing when it came into view. Joey smiled at him slightly, taking his hand and giving it a quick squeeze before letting go again. "Come on."

Yami had a bad feeling, a very bad feeling. Something wasn't right. He opened the door, and they stepped inside. The room was quiet, dark from the drawn shades. Everything was in its place, but the feeling wouldn't leave, and he still couldn't feel his light. Yami started for the bedroom door, which was closed as Joey called, "Yugi?"

Suddenly, a bolt of pain shot through Yami's head, wiping away all his senses. In a way Yami could feel the rough hardness of the carpet against his cheek, could hear Joey calling his name frantically, but it all seemed very far away.

Yami opened his eyes some time later to find himself in his soul room. He stood where he was for a moment, looking around, wondering how this place still existed. Now that he and Yugi were two separate people, what was the use of such a place? The walls were covered in cobwebs and a mist hung over the floor. He had always hated this place. It was always so dark and evil. Nothing had changed.

Not knowing why he was here, or what else to do, Yami started walking down the dank hallway. His steps combined with the sound of dripping water in the silence of the darkness, grating on his nerves. Just when he thought he could take no more, he rounded a corner and came across his light.

Yugi stood in the shrouds of mist, his eyes two sharp flashes of purple as he glanced at Yami then back down. A fire burned behind him. It was golden, rays of light piercing the mist that hung around it--through it. Sunshine yellow flames licked and played with tendrils of fog.

Yami knew what it was. It was Yugi's purity. His innocence. His soul. A similar one burned in the deep catacombs in the soul room in which they stood. Except darkness radiated from its core. Everything that came near it was contaminated with evil, darkness. Yami had saw his soulfire one time--when he was banished to the puzzle. Yami turned away when he heard Yugi laugh.

"Oh, Yami. You thought you could get away from me? That someone would actually want to help you?" Yami couldn't help but wince, sometimes Yugi's words cut deeper that his knife. How was it his soul was still aflame with light?

"I had hoped." he replied quietly.

"Don't. We've played this game before, Yami. I always win."

"I know." Yugi grinned. Yami shivered.

"Come here." Yugi whispered. His eyes flashed and Yami took an involuntary step back, slipped on a loose stone and fell backwards. His head connected with the floor and he yelped. The last thing he saw was a flash of purple.

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Yami came to slowly. He opened his eyes, trying to focus them on the face that floated in and out of his vision. There was a bad taste in his mouth and settled in the back of his throat. Yami realized what it was when Yugi came into focus. It was blood, and it was everywhere. It pressed hot and sticky against his back, soaked through his clothes, creating a nightmare. Yugi sat on Yami's waist, using his knees to pin Yami's wrists. At first, Yami thought it was he who bled and had drawn breath to scream when he realized nothing hurt. _If I'm not hurt and neither is Yugi...._

"Yugi?" he whispered, hating the way it came out...so weak. Fear--both hot and cold--shot through his veins when Yugi smiled. "Yugi, what have you done?"

"You drug Joey into this, not me. His is to kind for his own good."

"No..." Tears welled, falling down either temple.

"I told you Yami, don't play this game with me. I always win. I am your light, you are my dark, and everyone knows light always triumphs over dark."

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**Candy:** Thank you for reading. 


End file.
